I am not normally impressed by the advice columns found in local newspapers, but one recently caught my eye.  The columnist, Amy Dickinson, gave a fitting response. The letter was from a happily married woman who had been having lustful thoughts about someone at the local gym.  Though she had never introduced herself to the stranger, she felt strongly drawn to them.  She concluded by stating again how much she loved her husband.  

Amy’s response was full of common sense - “It is time for you to change gyms.  Removing this regular visual trigger should help you to recover from your obsession.”  

How simple!  If it tempts you, get away!  If only Eve had acted upon such advice in the long ago.  That is just how Joseph escaped Potiphar’s wife.  If only David had avoided contact with Bathsheba! God promises to “make a way of escape” from every temptation to do something that is wrong (I Corinthians 10:13), but we have to look for it and take it!  

Amy then gave her example of fleeing temptation.  She mentioned the terrible time she had had with donuts.  She said that she chose to do something about it – she drove another route to work so that she would not pass the donut shop!  “After about a week,” she said, “No more lust for a donut.”  

Nobody makes us do these things.  We let ourselves be led astray. We are the ones who hold the key.  We can always take another route!

Larry